Our Leadership

Kevin Cox

Head of College Savings

Kevin is responsible for the vision, strategy, leadership, and growth of the Ascensus College Savings division. He joined Ascensus in 2003 and has over 20 years of operational and relationship management experience in the financial services industry. Kevin holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and English from Lehigh University and graduated with honors from the Boston College Carroll Graduate School of Management master’s program.

Joe Dansky

SVP, General Counsel

Joe heads Ascensus’ legal department. He has been a corporate and transactional attorney since graduating from New York University School of Law. After graduating, he served as a law firm associate, first with Rogers & Wells and then Fulbright & Jaworski. He then served as assistant general counsel for NYSE-listed Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc. before joining Ascensus in 1999.

Bob Guillocheau

Chairman and CEO

As Chairman of Ascensus, Bob has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining Ascensus in 2003, Bob was executive vice president and general manager of First Data Retirement Services, chief operating officer of ChannelWave, and chief financial officer for Mellon Bank’s Mutual Fund Services Group. He holds a B.S. in Economics and Accounting from the College of the Holy Cross.

Jeff Howkins

Chairman, College Savings

Jeff has driven Ascensus College Savings’ assets under administration from $21 billion to over $100 billion, making it the industry’s largest 529 plan administrator. He joined the company in 2004 as chief operating officer, playing a key role in the development of the operations, personnel, and resources associated with the firm’s growth. Jeff holds a B.A. from Harvard University and an M.B.A. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as well as FINRA Series 7, 26, 27 and 51 licenses.

Shannon Kelly

Head of Retirement

Shannon is responsible for overseeing and driving the strategic direction for Ascensus’ retirement division. She joined Ascensus in 2001 and is a financial services veteran with over 25 years of mutual fund and retirement services experience. Shannon holds a B.A. in English and Communications from Rutgers College and an M.B.A. in finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University as well as FINRA Series 6 and 63 licenses.

James Lucania

Chief Financial Officer

James Lucania oversees Ascensus’ finance, accounting, and facilities teams. Previously, he served as CFO of Checkpoint Systems and spent a decade on Wall Street as an investment banker focusing on large capital markets and strategic transactions. James has a B.S. in Economics and a B.A. in Music from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

David Musto

President

As president of Ascensus, LLC, David is responsible for growing the firm’s existing businesses. He oversees the day-to-day operations of the retirement and college savings divisions and has more than 25 years of experience in financial services. Prior to joining Ascensus, he was president of Great-West Investments. David earned an MBA in Finance and International Business from NYU – Stern School of Business and a BBA in Finance from The College of William and Mary.

Raghav Nandagopal

EVP, Mergers & Acquisitions

Raghav leads corporate development and M&A strategy across the organization. He has over 25 years of industry and private equity experience at firms including Broadridge, US Trust/Bank of America, McKinsey, and ATT Capital. He holds an M.S. from Penn State, an M.B.A. from University of Bombay, and a B.S. from University of Madras. Raghav has also completed the SII Executive Development Program at the Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania.

Carl Negin

Chief Marketing Officer

Carl oversees the planning, development, and execution of Ascensus’ marketing to support its delivery of a best-in-class client experience. He joined Ascensus in 2018, bringing broad domestic and international industry and consulting experience, including tech, automotive, healthcare, energy, tourism, and financial services. Carl has an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Cornell University.

John Schroeder

Chief Information Officer, Information Technology

John joined Ascensus in 2004 and is responsible for Information Technology. His 20 years of financial services and banking experience includes time spent at Bank One (JP Morgan Chase) and Advanta. He has also held senior IT roles at UPS and a management consulting firm. John holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Rutgers University.

Neil Smith

EVP, Strategic Business Support Services

Neil oversees retirement plan sales, strategic planning, and integration management, working closely with the corporate development team to establish integration timelines for merger and acquisition efforts. He has more than 30 years of experience in the retirement industry. Neil received his B.S. in Accounting from St. John’s University.

Amy Walker

SVP, Human Resources

Amy joined Ascensus in 2001 and is responsible for Human Resources. The HR team works as a strategic partner with the business units to create and support appropriate recruitment, retention, performance management, and ongoing training and development initiatives. Amy holds a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources from Shippensburg University.

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Before investing in any 529 plan, please consider whether your or the beneficiary’s home state offers any state tax or other state benefits such as financial aid, scholarship funds, and protection from creditors that are only available for investments in that state’s 529 plan.

When you invest in a 529 plan, you are purchasing municipal securities whose value may vary based on market conditions. Investment returns are not guaranteed, and you could lose money by investing in a 529 plan. Account owners assume all investment risks as well as responsibility for any federal and state tax consequences.

The availability of tax advantages or other benefits may be contingent on meeting other requirements. Please consult your financial, tax, or other advisors to learn more about how state-based benefits and limitations would apply to your specific circumstance. You may also contact your home state’s 529 plan(s), or any other 529 plan, to learn more about those plans’ features, benefits and limitations.